Anchor for radiator caps, etc.



Dec. 1, 1925-l E. E. JOSEF ANCHOR FOR RADIATOR cA'Ps, arc

Filed Nov. 25, 1921 iatented ee. l,

, *eNl'Il-ED stares EDWARD E. JOSEF, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK. Y"

ANCHOR rennamaron cars, nrc.

vApplication filed November 25, 1921.. Serial No. 517,734.

. To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD E. J osni, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New vYorkphave invented new `and useful Improvements in Anchors for Radiator Caps, Etc., of which the following isa speciication.

This invention relates to means for anchoring which are more particularly designed for attaching the cap of the filling nipple of a radiator tank, so that the same cannot be normally wholly detached from the tank and thus avoid either accidentally losing the cap as well as preventing stealing thereof7 as frequently happens, which means are preferably so constructed that they also serve as part of the means for locking a thermometer' on such radiator caps and preventing theft or loss of the same. This anchor may however be used toi-advantage for other purposes.

It is the object of this invention t6 provide a device of this character which can be constructed at comparatively low cost and which when applied to the cap of a radiator cannot be easily removed by ordinary tools.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a fragmentary vertical section of a radiator tank having its filling nipple and cap equipped with my improvements for preventing the cap from being wholly detached from the radiator and also connecting a thermometer with the cap. Figures2, 3 rand 4 are horizontal sections taken on the correspondingly numbered lines in Fig. 1. Figure 5 is a perspective view -of` the main arts of the anchor shown in Figs 1. and 4, forming part of my invention. Figure 6 is a fragmentary, vertical section taken on linev 6`6, Fig. 1. Figure 7 is a perspective view, showing a modified form of the anchor part of my invention. Figure 8 is a horizontal section takenon line 8 8, Fig. 7.

" Similar characters of-reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. i 4 Y 10 represents the top or upper wall of the upper water tank of a radiator which may be of any suitable construction, but which is provided centrally vwith an opening 11 through which water is introduced into the radiator when the same requires replenishing from time to time. Projecting from the upper side of this radiator tank around the opening 11. iS a filling nipple 12 which is. normally closed by means of a cap having,

atop 13 and an internally screwthreaded flange-or rim 14 which engages with an eX- ternal thread on the nipple 12. y Infthe form o-f my invention shown in the drawings, the top 13 iscombined with a,-

thermometer which Vis mounted on the cap and which is adapted to indicate the temperature of the water within the radiator and serve ,as a signal to the operator that the radiatorF requires replenishing with water. This thermometer may be of any suitable. form, but as shown in the drawings, the` same comprises a body 15 provided at its lower end with a vertical shank 16 which projects downwardly through an opening in the top of the radiator cap and having a downwardly-facing shoulder 17 which` engagesrwith the top of this cap, so as to limit this downward movement, and a thermometer tube 18` arranged within the body and shank of the thermometer and having its upper part exposed to view through a window 19 on the front side of the body while the lower end thereof is eX-l posed to the action of the Aheat within the radiator. n f In its general organization, my invention comprises an anchor adapted to engage with the innerer underside of the radiator tank, a coupling .connected with the radiator cap through the medium of the thermometer in the present instance, and a tie connecting thiscoupling to the anchor. V v

The tiein. the present case is preferably of flexible form and consists in the present instance of a cha-in 20 the links offwhich may be of any suitable construction and pivotally connected -with eachother in a manner common to the chains employed fo use in driving chain belts.

The coupling comprises a tubular body or coupling sleeve 21 which is provided at itslower end with a downwardly projecting eye :22V to which the uppermost links of the tie are connected, while the upper part of the exterior of this sleeve is provided with an internal screw threadQS which `engages with the screw threaded shank 16 y of the thermometer, so that upon tightening this sleeve upon the shank, the upper.v end of the sleeve will be pres-sed against the underside `of the head 13. The upper partJ of the coupling sleevev has itseXterior provided with an inwardly-enlarging conical surface 24 and with a'cylindrical surface 25 which is arranged at the upper end of the conical surfaceand of the same diameter as the largest part of the latter. In order to clamp this coupling sleeve firmly onto., the screwt-hreaded shank 16 and prevent this sleeve from being removed from the shank by ordinary too-ls, a clamping sleeve 26 is employed which is first driven upwardly along the conical part 24 of the external surface of the sleeve, whereby the middle of this sleeve is crowded together and caused to bind on the threads of the thermometer shank and thereafter, this ring upon being driven onto the cylindrical part 25 of the sleeve, will hold the latter in this contracted condition and also prevent the clamping ring from'r slipping downwardly out of pla-ce. The contraction of the coupling sleeve for this purpose is facilitated by providing the same with 'one o-rvmore longitudinal' sluts 27 which extend to the upper end of the sleeve, thereby dividing the same into a plurality of jaw-'like sections, which', when drawn inwardly by the clamping ring 26 are caused tor firmly grip the exterior of the thermometer-.shank and prevent these parts from being separated by ordinary tools.

It follows from this construction, that any attempt to remove the thermometer from the radiator cap by ordinary means as is frequently done by mischievous persons or thieves, will be frustrated. These slots 27, in addition ,to servmgas means for rendering the upper part ofthe coupling sleeve flexible and enable the same to engage the thermometer shank with a firm grip, also serve as passages whereby the steam from the heateduwater in the radiator may enter this sleeve and reach the thermometer tube 18 so that the latter will respond to the variations in ytemperature within the radiator tank. In addition to these slots,` the lower end of the coupling sleeve may be provided on opposite sides of' the coupling eye 22 with one or more open-ings or passages`-`28 through which steam` may pass from thefinterior ofthe radiator to the interior of the coupling sleeve in order to reach the thermometer tube, which openings 28 are 'preferably arranged obliquely to the axis of the coupling "sleeve7 s'o as to prevent the insertion of a tool into the same, Wherebythis sleeve might be turned for removing the same from the 'shank of the thermometer and maliciously removing the latter from the radiator cap. A

yThe form of anchor embodying my invention as shown in Figs. l, 4, 5 and 6, is constructed as follows:

This anchor comprises 'a central head whichy is made up ofy a plurality of upright plates, preferably three in number and secured to each other and to the lower yend of the tie 20. These plates are arranged side by side' and parallel with each other,

the center or intermediate plate 29 being arranged between the outer or side plates 3l). The connection between these several plates is preferably affected by means of a rivet 3l and at their upper ends these several plates are connected with the lowermost links of the tie chain 2O by means of a rivet 32 or any other suitable means. The intermediate body plate 29 is provided with a laterally projecting coupling ear 33 which is arranged in the same plane as the body of this plate. Each of the outer or side plates 30 of the anchor body is provided with a pivot ear 34 which is arranged at an angle to the plane of the respective body plate and VYwhen these two side plates are assembled Vwith the intermediate plate 29, the two pivot ears 34 diverge laterally or outwardly relatively to the body ofthe anchor.

Upon each of the pivot ears of the anchor body is arranged a stop arm which is adapted to engage with the inner side of the water tank of the radiator and prevent the withdrawal of the anchor from the tank and thus render it impossible under normal conditions to wholly detach the radiator cover from the radiator body. Each of these.

arms is preferably constructed integrally from a single piece of sheet metal which is bent np to form two upright longitudinal side walls and a lower horizontal wall or web 36' connecting the edges of the side walls 35. At their inner sides the side walls of one of the stop arms are arranged on opposite sides of one of the pivot arms and is pivotally connected therewith by a transverse pivot 37' and in the normal position of each stop arm the inner part of its web 36 engages with the underside of the respective pivot arm and thus prevents the stop arm from swingingdownwardly from its normal horizontal position relatively to the body of the anchor but permitting the same to swing forwardly from this horizontal position. nWhen the several arms of the anchor are' thus folded forwardly toward the body thereof and the adjacent part of the tie chain, as shown by dotted lines in F ig. l, this anchor together with the tie chain may be dropped down through the filling nipple l2 and' into the upper radiator tank, after which the chain and anchor may be shaken so as to cause the sto arms to swing from their upwardly projecting position into their normal operative horizontal position, shown by full lines in Fig. l. In this position ofr these arms the latter will strike the underside of the top of the upper tank of the radiator in attempting to withdraw the same and thus prevent the anchor from being withdrawn and maintain a connection between the latter and the thermometer and radiator cap, thereby preventing accidental loss or theft of the same.

Instead of making up Ythe body of the anchor of three plates, the same may be constructed of two upright plates 38 whichare arranged parallel and secured to each other by means of rivets 39 passing throughV the lower parts thereof and also adapted to be secured at their upper ends to the lower ends of the tie 20, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. In this instance, these body plates are provided on the lower parts of the vertical edges on one side thereof with laterally projecting pivot ears 40 which diverge laterally and each of which is arranged at an angleto the plane of the respective body plate, while the lower part of the opposite longitudinal edges of these plates are provided with rigid horizontal lugs 4l which are arranged side by side and` are of suflicient length so that together they form a stop arm. On each of the pivot ears 40 is ivotally mounted the inner end of a vertically swinging stop arm 42, which is constructed and operates similar to the stop arms shown in Figs. l, 4 and 6, so as to permit each of these stop arms to swing upwardly from a horizontal position on its body, but is prevented from swinging downward from this horizontal position.

These anchors are very simple in construction and the same can be produced at low cost, inasmuch as they can be manufactured from sheet metal and assembled without using expensive tools. Furthermore, an anchor of this construction can be easily introduced into the radiator and when spread out this anchor upon engaging the inner side of the radiator tank, reduces the possibility of losing the radiator cap or the thermometer either by accident ortheft. I claim as my invention:

l. An anchor comprising a central body, an ear projecting laterally from said body, and a stop arm pivoted on said ear so as to be capable of swinging upwardly from a horizontal position thereon but held against swinging downwardly from a horizontal position thereon, said arm comprising two side v walls which have their inner ends arranged on opposite sides of said ear and pivoted thereto, and a web connecting the lower edges of said walls and adapted to engage its inner end with the underside of said ear.

2. An anchor comprising a central body having an intermediate and two outer upright parallel plates which are connected with each other, said intermediate plate having a laterally projecting ear arranged in the same plane, and said outer plates each having a laterally projecting ear which is arranged in a plane at an angle to the respective outer plate and the ears of said outer plates diverging outwardly, and stop arms pivoted on said ears and capable of swinging upwardly from a horizontal position but held against swinging downwardly from a horizontal position.

EDWARD E. JOSEF. 

